Sydney-based Natasha Gale has been appointed CEO at legal expense insurance specialist ARAG Services Australia.

Her promotion comes as Antoinette von Wendt moves into the COO role for six months ahead of her return to Germany next year.

ARAG launched in Australia in 2019 and says the business quickly established itself “to the point where the global strategy of employing local leadership teams now makes sense”.

Ms Gale has worked in insurance and banking for more than two decades, including senior positions at Allianz, Wesfarmers Insurance, icare and Westpac.

She says legal expense insurance is “a relatively unknown product in Australia” even though it is as common in Europe as health insurance is in Australia.

“That makes the local growth potential for us huge.”

Family-owned ARAG operates in 19 countries. It says its expansion into Australia – the second most litigious country behind the US – was an “obvious move”.

The company’s Australian underwriter is HDI Global Specialty.